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FLORIDA
Brochure images of tanning flesh and Mickey
Mouse give an inaccurate and incomplete picture
of FLORIDA. Although the aptly nicknamed
"Sunshine State" is indeed devoted to the tourist
trade, it's also among the least-understood parts
of the US. Away from its overexposed resorts lie
forests and rivers, deserted strands filled with
wildlife, vibrant cities and primeval swamps.
In many respects Florida is still evolving. Seven
hundred people a day move to the state, now the
fourth most populous in the nation. Changing demographics
are eroding the traditional Deep South conservatism:
the new Floridians tend to be a younger, more
energetic breed, while Spanish-speaking enclaves
provide close ties to Latin America and the Caribbean
– links as influential in creating wealth as the
recent arrival of the movie industry in central
Florida, fresh from Hollywood.
The essential stop is cosmopolitan, half-Latin
Miami, from where a simple journey south
brings you to the Florida Keys, a hundred-mile
string of islands known for sports fishing, coral-reef
diving, and the sultry town of Key West,
legendary for its sunsets and anything-goes attitude.
Just north from Miami, you may find one of the
nicest places to live or visit: Fort
Lauderdale - 'The Venice of the Americas'.
In central Florida the terrain turns green, though
it's no rural idyll: this is where you'll find
Orlando and Walt Disney World, one of the world's
leading tourist destinations. From here it's just
a skip north to the forests of the Panhandle,
Florida's link with the Deep South, or to the
towns and beaches of the west coast. To the south,
and also easily accessible from Miami, stretches
the Everglades, a swampy sawgrass plain filled
with camera-friendly (but otherwise unfriendly)
alligators.
In at least one way it makes little difference
when you visit: warm sunshine and blue skies are
almost always a fact of life. Florida does, however,
split into two climatic zones: subtropical in
the south and warm temperate in the north. Orlando
and points south have very mild winters (October
to April), with warm temperatures and low humidity.
This is the peak tourist season, when prices are
at their highest. The southern summer (May to
September), on the other hand, brings high humidity
and afternoon storms – the rewards for braving
the mugginess are lower prices and fewer tourists.
Winter is the off-peak period north of Orlando;
while snow has been known to fall in the Panhandle,
daytime temperatures are generally comfortably
warm. During the northern Florida summer, the
crowds arrive, and the days – and the nights –
get hot and sticky. Also, there is a potentially
ominous time of the year – the "hurricane season"
– June to November.
Finally, although Florida has struggled with its
reputation for crimes against (and even murders
of) tourists, the state's been very successful
in reducing such attacks. It's definitely no longer
the den of "Miami Vice" it once was, but, as when
visiting all big cities, it pays to be wary.
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view Vacation Rental Homes in FLORIDA click here.
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